Poverty and living standards in Johor, Malaysia: official figures
The absolute poverty rate in Johor was 2.5% of households in 2024 (households with income below the national poverty line), 6th lowest among the 16 areas.
Has poverty in Johor gone down?
Poverty in Johor fell between the 2022 and 2024 household surveys: 4.6% of households were below the poverty line in 2022 and 2.5% in 2024, a change of -2.1 percentage points.
Source: Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM) · saved copyHow unequal is income in Johor?
Income inequality in Johor, measured by the Gini coefficient of household income, was 0.348 in 2024 (0 is perfect equality, 1 is maximum inequality), 5th most unequal among the 16 areas.
Source: Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM) · saved copyIs income inequality in Johor getting better or worse?
The Gini coefficient of household income in Johor fell from 0.366 in 2022 to 0.348 in 2024, so income inequality narrowed.
Source: Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM) · saved copyHow much of their income do households in Johor spend?
Households in Johor spent on average 62% of their income in 2024 (RM5,927 out of RM9,484 a month), a share that ranks 6th lowest among the 16 areas.
Source: Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM) · saved copyWhy is average income higher than median income in Johor?
The mean household income in Johor is 23% higher than the median (RM9,484 against RM7,712 a month in 2024); the gap ranks 6th narrowest among the 16 areas.
Source: Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM) · saved copyHow Johor compares with other states
Absolute poverty rate, 2024 (% of households) (2024)
Johor ranks 11 of 16, highest first. Share of households with income below the national poverty line.
| Rank | Region | Absolute poverty rate, 2024 (% of households) |
|---|---|---|
| 8 | Negeri Sembilan | 4.0% |
| 9 | Perlis | 3.6% |
| 10 | Melaka | 3.0% |
| 11 | Johor | 2.5% |
| 12 | Labuan | 2.0% |
| 13 | Penang | 1.9% |
| 14 | Kuala Lumpur | 1.0% |
Income inequality (Gini coefficient), 2024 (2024)
Johor ranks 5 of 16, highest first. Gini coefficient of household income: 0 is perfect equality, 1 is maximum inequality.
| Rank | Region | Income inequality (Gini coefficient), 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | Kuala Lumpur | 0.375 |
| 3 | Sarawak | 0.361 |
| 4 | Kelantan | 0.356 |
| 5 | Johor | 0.348 |
| 6 | Negeri Sembilan | 0.343 |
| 7 | Melaka | 0.337 |
| 8 | Kedah | 0.334 |
More on Johor: overview · economy and jobs · health · education and schools · Malaysia
Sources
- Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM): Household Income and Expenditure Survey by state, 2022 and 2024: mean and median household income, mean household expenditure, Gini coefficient, absolute poverty rate, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 2006002bbfb2…)
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